[CAUT] Position Opening at the University of South Carolina

[Scott E. Thile]

Wow, that sounds very close to my situation here too, Jeff... My take home
is about the same... We do have tuition waivers equivalent to 6 classes a
year for the immediate family, which helps a little. 
 
I just signed a one year contract for the same pay I had last year. We are
going to get a one time $400 check in July instead of a cost of living or
merit pay raise this year. Obviously, the cost of living increase (mostly
food and gas) has caused that to be a significant pay cut this year.
Thankfully, I live about 2 miles from school. 
 
The state of KY has cut higher ed funding across the board, and it's a
miracle no salary lines are being cut here. All in all, I think we're doing
pretty well compared to what a lot of people are facing, or are about to
face. I think it's going to be a rough season for a lot of folks in this
country.
 
While I'd rather have it a little easier, and make a little more, this is
still a lot better for me... In terms of private sector work. I did that
full time for 17 years before I took this position. No insurance, and no
retirement (I kept having to wipe that out), and I worked much harder. My
gross income was great, my net was certainly no better than I make now, and
I had nothing for the future, and thank God none of us were facing major
medical expenses. If I were still self employed, we'd either be completely
broke, or very very sick and in a lot of pain!
 
All the best in your new endeavors, Jeff. I hope and pray things go well.
 
Scott

-----Original Message-----
From: caut-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of Jim
Busby
Sent: Thursday, June 12, 2008 12:30 PM
To: College and University Technicians
Subject: Re: [CAUT] Position Opening at the University of South Carolina



Jeff,

 

I thought there for a moment that you were talking about the position here.
(Very similar, overall.)

 

It's hard to stay motivated when your independent technician friends are
making twice what you are. Benefits and job security in an uncertain economy
are sometimes all that keeps me here. Besides the friendship with the people
around me. With your skills you should easily make much more, with much less
stress. Yep, CAUT life isn't necessarily the "life of Riley". 

 

Thanks for the info. Makes me feel like I'm not alone.

 

Regards,

Jim Busby

 


  _____  


From: caut-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of Jeff
Tanner
Sent: Thursday, June 12, 2008 10:36 AM
To: College and University Technicians
Subject: [CAUT] Position Opening at the University of South Carolina

 

Dear CAUTers,

Yes.  After 9 1/2 years, I've left my position at the University of South
Carolina.  The responsibilities and difficulties of the situation were
growing too fast for one person to have any chance of keeping up and the
salary was never going to support living in the local community - not for
raising a family at least.  The time requirements were getting unpredictable
and increasing moonlighting requirements were making it more and more
difficult to be committed to the unrealistic requirements of the staff
position.  I'm planning to compose an email to the list for anyone
interested in applying for the position to know what to expect. In fact, I
already have, but it was too long and involved to send. In the meantime, if
anyone has questions about the situation, feel free to email me privately at
this address.

 

Important things one needs to know about this particular situation:  The
benefits are not free on top of the salary. Employee contributions to
benefits are a significant deduction from the paycheck.  At $52K, my daily
take home pay was just shy of $134, or just under $2900/month. The 2008-09
SC budget only provides for a 1% COL increase for state employees. Just
three years ago, we had come through a 2 year period of salary freezes and I
look for that to happen again next year. There is no tuition assistance for
families. Children of employees do not go to college free or reduced, and
USC has a relatively high tuition for state flagship schools in the region.
The employee can take up to 3 hours per semester if class space is
available. Building outside private business in the local sector is very
slow and often requires traveling well outside the local area. While some
university techs regularly get calls because of their position, I averaged
perhaps 2 calls a year, one of which was asking about the value of their
piano for sale. Do not assume you won't have to moonlight. Unless you are
financially independent, the advertised salary will not support a home, car
payment, utilities, food and clothing in the local area. Do not expect to
come in for a lower salary and get it adjusted upward later. The system
doesn't allow for that type of employee rewarding.  You must negotiate the
salary you expect at hire. The system limits performance increases to 10%,
but don't expect to ever see a 10% performance increase. You can only
qualify for a pay for performance increase once annually.  With the price of
gas and food going up daily, that is a very long wait between salary
increases.

 

One technician who called me about the position opening expected that taking
a university job would be an easier life. I've found it to be an extremely
difficult and stressful means of earning an income.  I was working 70 plus
hours a week and still living paycheck to paycheck.  If you're young and
planning a family, I definitely cannot recommend it.

 

Probably the biggest reason I left was that the performance expectations
don't allow for much of a family life.  I wasn't raised that way and I
couldn't continue to subject my family to that kind of home life. If your
idea of family life is the only time you see your wife and children is when
you kiss them goodnight (and often not then) and put them on the school bus
the next morning, then you may be ok with this work.  And yes, you get
vacation leave, but you don't make enough money to be able to take your
family on vacation.  We ran up a substantial amount of debt trying to wait
for the salary to get to a level we could just pay monthly bills.  It was
time to stop going backwards.

 

Jeff Tanner

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